Hearts of Pine allow another stoppage time goal in loss to AC Boise
Portland Hearts of Pine Lose 2‑1 to Boise in 93rd‑Minute Thriller, Elimination from Playoffs Confirmed
PORTLAND, ME — The Portland Hearts of Pine fell to Athletic Club Boise 2‑1 after a late 93rd‑minute strike, a loss that confirms the Hearts’ season‑long struggle to keep the ball in the final minutes of play. The match, played at Fitzpatrick Stadium before a sell‑out crowd of 6,318, was the 12th time this season that Portland has surrendered a late goal to flip a positive result into a negative one.
Portland’s lone goal came in the 74th minute when forward Diego Gonzalez capitalised on a Diogo Barbosa pass to score from the right‑third of the field. Boise opened the scoring 20 minutes later when Tumi Mosobane netted from a long throw‑in in the 54th minute. In the 84th minute Aboubacar Camara hit the post from a close‑range effort, but the match remained tied until the 93rd minute when Thomas Ang fired a sharp shot past keeper Hunter Morse, sending Boise to a 2‑1 victory.
“We’ve been dropping points in the last ten minutes of games for a while now,” said coach Bobby Murphy in post‑match comments. “I think that’s the 20‑some odd point we’ve dropped in the last 10 minutes of games. My frustration is, they play their hearts out, they do so much good, and then we don’t respect the moments that it takes to get something from the game.” Murphy added that the game’s final moments had been “two moments where we were trying to get too much from situations where there was nothing to be gained.”
Right‑back Mo Mohamed echoed the sentiment: “Today, it felt like we had the game for the majority of it and momentum especially toward the end, and for them to score that goal, it’s kind of like heartbreaking.”
The loss is the 10th goal conceded by Portland in the 90th minute or later in 30 USL‑One matches this season. The team has allowed 26 potential points when a tie turned to a loss or a would‑be win became a tie or loss. With this defeat, Portland has squandered 21 points in the final 10 minutes of matches, leaving the club 31 points and a 7‑13‑10 record. The team was officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday after falling to 31 points, one point shy of a playoff berth with two games remaining.
The defeat moves Boise up to fourth place in the standings (15‑8‑7) and secures a home quarterfinal in the upcoming playoffs.
Portland’s home form has been uneven. The Hearts are 5‑7‑3 at Fitzpatrick Stadium, and they have conceded the first goal in 8 of 15 home matches. The team is scheduled to host Forward Madison next Saturday and will play their final home match on Oct. 24 against league leader Charlotte Independence.
Despite the on‑field challenges, Fitzpatrick Stadium continued its streak of 38 consecutive sellouts, underscoring the strong fan support for the Hearts of Pine even as the club battles to close out its season on a high note.
